Author: PolitCens

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday the Senate would not quickly take up a House bill to boost the size of pandemic relief payments for most Americans to $2,000 from the current $600.  The Kentucky senator said the House bill “has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate.”   With a new Congress due to be sworn in January 3, it was unclear what, if any, actions would be taken by the current Congress. Without action, the House bill will expire.   McConnell introduced a measure Tuesday that tied the demand for higher coronavirus pandemic relief payments together with some of President Donald Trump’s unrelated demands concerning a U.S. defense bill that the president has vetoed. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky walks to the Senate floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 30, 2020.Trump had also criticized the pandemic relief bill, which he finally signed Sunday after several days of delay. Democrats have long supported higher payments, and the Democrat-majority House quickly agreed to boost the sum to $2,000 after Trump first advocated the larger amount.   Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer objected to McConnell’s attempt to tie the stimulus money to Trump’s demands that social media companies be stripped of some legal protections and that a fresh investigation of potential election fraud be started. Republicans have mounted dozens of lawsuits without uncovering any evidence of fraud in the November presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden.Even if the combined legislation passed the Senate, it would have to go back to the Democrat-controlled House for a vote on the new provisions.  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 30, 2020.”Senator McConnell knows how to make $2,000 survival checks reality and he knows how to kill them,” Schumer said Tuesday. “If Senator McConnell tries loading up the bipartisan House-passed CASH Act with unrelated, partisan provisions that will do absolutely nothing to help struggling families across the country, it will not pass the House and cannot become law — any move like this by Senator McConnell would be a blatant attempt to deprive Americans of a $2,000 survival check.”   McConnell blocked Schumer’s attempt Tuesday to force an immediate up-or-down vote on the stand-alone measure authorizing the $2,000 payments. How the Republican-majority Senate will proceed with the two proposals is not clear.   Some Republicans have expressed support for bigger coronavirus payments directed to families with combined annual incomes of up to $150,000, who make up about 81% of all U.S. households. Among the Republican proponents are Georgia’s two senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who are facing runoff elections next week. Their Democratic challengers also favor the bigger payments.   But some Republicans have voiced opposition, saying the bigger payments would be too costly and would not necessarily boost the U.S. economy, which has been staggered by the coronavirus pandemic.   Defense billOn another pending piece of legislation, McConnell is urging his colleagues to override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion defense spending measure in a vote expected this week.   “President Trump has rightly noted this year’s defense bill doesn’t contain every provision that we Republicans would have wanted. I’m confident our Democratic colleagues feel the same way,” McConnell said Tuesday. “But that is the case every year. And yet, for 59 consecutive years and counting, Washington has put our differences aside, found common ground and passed the annual defense bill.”  The Senate approved the NDAA 84-13 earlier this month, far more than the two-thirds vote needed to override a veto. After Trump’s veto, the House of Representatives responded with an overwhelming vote to override it on Monday.   McConnell was hoping to hold the Senate vote on Wednesday. However, liberal senators led by Bernie Sanders have been blocking action on the defense bill to press for a Senate vote on the increased coronavirus relief payments. A vote in the Senate could come later this week or over the weekend. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks to reporters while leaving the Senate floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 30, 2020.If the Senate approves the override, it would be the first time Congress has gone against a Trump veto during his four years in office.   Trump on Tuesday called the defense legislation a “disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people to Big Tech. Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW! Senate should not approve NDAA until fixed!!!″   The president has criticized the bill on several fronts, including saying it should include the repeal of a provision that protects social media companies from liability over content their users post. Trump has voiced his displeasure that Twitter has frequently labeled his claims that he was defrauded of reelection as “disputed.”   He also said the bill restricted his ability to bring U.S. troops home from “foreign lands who do NOTHING for us.”   And Trump has demanded the removal of language that allows the renaming of U.S. military bases that honor leaders of the Confederacy, which seceded from the United States in the early 1860s, before collapsing at the end of the Civil War in 1865.
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Two crucial Senate runoff elections will be held in the Southern state of Georgia next week, with inflammatory accusations still circulating about the state’s handling of last month’s presidential election — and on the same voting machines that are at the center of President Donald Trump’s charges that the November balloting was fixed. Courts around the country have rejected the claims of fraud in Georgia and elsewhere, and election officials from Trump’s own Republican Party have defended the handling of the November 3 vote in that state.  But they also say the rhetoric has reached dangerous levels, casting a cloud over the January 5 runoffs. FILE – Cobb County Election officials sort ballots during an audit in Marietta, Ga., Nov. 13, 2020.Protesters at “Stop the Steal” rallies around the country, endorsed by Trump, have said he was the true winner of the presidential election, a claim Trump has made himself in more than a dozen tweets and retweets and a December 2 statement.   “With the turn of a dial, with the change of a (computer) chip, you can press a button for Trump and the vote goes to Biden. What kind of a system is this?” he said. ‘Numbers don’t lie’Election officials from both parties and nearly all observers say there is no evidence of pervasive fraud. William Barr, who resigned as attorney general December 23, said he found no fraud that could have changed the outcome.  “This is probably one of the best-run elections the United States has ever done,” said Raphael Sonenshein of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University-Los Angeles.   FILE – A GOP observer, left, watches as workers scan ballots as the Fulton County presidential recount gets under way at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Nov. 25, 2020.He said turnout was huge — more than 157 million people cast their ballots, two-thirds of eligible voters.  “It was done very smoothly, and there were almost no documented cases of serious problems in the race,” he said. At issue for protesters are alleged irregularities in the mail-in voting process and unproven allegations of rigged voting machines from Dominion Voting Systems. Trump’s supporters and some Republican state officials, led by Republicans in Texas, filed more than 50 lawsuits to reverse the vote in seven swing states. None has been successful. Biden condemned the Republican effort in remarks December 14, saying “this legal maneuver was an effort by elected officials of one group of states to try to get officials to wipe out the votes of more than 20 million Americans in other states.” A November recount in Georgia confirmed that Biden had won there, and a Republican official said November 20 that the issue was settled. “I live by the motto that numbers don’t lie,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.  A partial recount in Wisconsin also cemented Biden’s win in that state.Death threats Dominion said its employees have received death threats because of charges the company calls “fabrications.” So have election workers in Georgia, where Gabriel Sterling, manager of Georgia Voting Systems, issued a plea on December 2. FILE – A monitor showing Dominion Voting Image Cast Central display tab is seen as Cobb County Election officials count ballots on a machine, in Marietta, Ga., Nov. 24, 2020.Directly addressing Trump in public remarks earlier this month, Sterling said, “Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language. Senators, you have not condemned this language or these actions. This has to stop.” Still, Trump has not backed down.  “I went from leading by a lot to losing by a little,” he has said, describing the shift in the count as the votes were tallied in some states. Some Republicans have acknowledged Biden’s win, among them Senators Marco Rubio, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitt Romney. But others are silent on Trump’s fraud claims that have clouded the Georgia runoff. Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri said Wednesday that he would contest the certification of the Electoral College vote next week. Republican Senator to Contest Biden’s Electoral College VictoryMissouri’s Josh Hawley says Congress should investigate ‘voter fraud,’ but Democrat is still expected to officially win presidency next week“You’ve got a split Republican Party,” said Sonenshein.  It is a problem for Republicans in a tight election, with high stakes for both sides. 
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Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri said Wednesday that he would contest next week’s certification of the Electoral College vote in a last-ditch but almost certainly futile effort to upend Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in last month’s election over President Donald Trump.Hawley’s challenge, coupled with a Republican protest in the House of Representatives led by Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama, ensures that the two chambers in Congress on January 6 will debate the legitimacy of Biden’s 306-232 victory in the Electoral College that would make him the country’s 46th president at his inauguration on January 20.Biden’s incoming White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, told reporters Wednesday that despite any “antics,” Biden would be sworn in as scheduled next month.In the U.S.’s indirect form of democracy, the outcome of the Electoral College vote determines who wins the presidency, not the national popular vote, although Biden won that as well by 7 million votes.Debate in both chambersThe Hawley and Brooks protests are likely to force both the House and Senate to debate for up to two hours on whether to overturn the already state-certified outcomes of the popular votes in several states Biden won narrowly and to reject his winner-take-all collection of electoral votes in each of those states. Both congressional chambers would have to vote to overturn the vote in any individual state for the overall electoral vote count to be changed.But Democrats will narrowly maintain control of the House after new lawmakers are sworn in Sunday and are certain to decide any disputes in Biden’s favor.Political control of the Senate remains unsettled pending two runoff elections in Georgia set for next Tuesday. But several Republicans have acknowledged Biden won the election and could also join Democrats in the Senate to vote against Trump.Trump has refused to concede his defeat in the November 3 election, tweeting daily unfounded claims that he was defrauded out of election to a second four-year term.FILE – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp listens to a reporter’s question at the Georgia World Congress Center on April 16, 2020, in Atlanta.On Wednesday, Trump called for the resignation of Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who has rejected the president’s claim that he won the Southern state even as an initial count and two recounts of the vote there showed Biden the winner by just under 12,000 votes out of 5 million ballots cast.’Obstructionist’Trump called Kemp an “obstructionist” in a tweet:Hearings from Atlanta on the Georgia Election overturn now being broadcast. Check it out. @OANN@newsmax and many more. @BrianKempGA should resign from office. He is an obstructionist who refuses to admit that we won Georgia, BIG! Also won the other Swing States.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2020Earlier in the week, Trump tweeted to his supporters, “See you in Washington, DC, on January 6th. Don’t miss it.”Hawley, 40, a first-term senator, said in a statement, “I cannot vote to certify the Electoral College results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws.” “And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden,” Hawley said. “At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act.”Hawley’s announced intention to contest the Electoral College outcome goes against the wishes of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who earlier this month urged other Republican senators to accept Biden’s victory and avoid having to vote on whether to back Trump in a losing effort and appear to be trying to thwart the will of the people who favored Biden.Trump has lost dozens of lawsuits claiming voting and vote-counting irregularities cost him re-election.
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U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and outgoing President Donald Trump are all planning to campaign in the southern state of Georgia in the final two days ahead of next Tuesday’s crucial Senate runoff elections. Harris is staging a rally Sunday in the Atlantic coastal city of Savannah for the Democratic contenders, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Baptist minister, who is opposing incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, and Jon Ossoff, a television documentary producer who is running against Republican Senator David Perdue. Biden and Trump both have announced rallies for Monday, the day before the Tuesday in-person voting. FILE – Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., speaks as President Donald Trump and Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., listen at a campaign rally at Valdosta Regional Airport in Georgia, Dec. 5, 2020.Biden will rally with the two Democrats in Georgia’s biggest city, Atlanta, while Trump is stumping for Loeffler and Perdue farther north in Whitfield County at the Dalton Regional Airport. Vice President Mike Pence has previously campaigned in the state for the two Republicans, as have two of Trump’s adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump. The two runoff elections became necessary because none of the four candidates won a majority in their respective November 3 elections, although Perdue led Ossoff in their two-man race and Warnock topped Loeffler in a 10-candidate field. The latest polling shows both contests too close to suggest who might win either vote. The outcome holds importance in Washington, with political control of the Senate at stake during the first two years of Biden’s presidency after he is inaugurated January 20. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
FILE – U.S. President-elect Joe Biden stands between Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff ahead of their January 5 runoff elections, at Pullman Yard in Atlanta, Georgia, Dec. 15, 2020.But if both Warnock and Ossoff were to win, there would be a 50-50, Democratic-Republican split in the Senate, giving Harris the opportunity to break tie votes in favor of the Democrats in organizing the committees and controlling the legislative calendar. Republican control would complicate passage of Biden’s legislative agenda over the next two years, likely forcing extensive negotiations on such controversial issues as extending health care benefits, setting immigration controls and establishing climate regulations. Democratic control, if the party’s members vote as a bloc, could ease the path for Biden’s initiatives. Georgia, once a reliable Republican stronghold, narrowly swung to Biden over Trump in the November 3 election by just under 12,000 votes out of the 5 million cast. Despite Trump’s protests that election fraud cost him the state’s 16 electoral votes in the Electoral College that determines the outcome of U.S. presidential elections, a first count of the vote and then two recounts all showed Biden the winner. Biden was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in 28 years, giving the party the hope that Warnock and Ossoff could also win their contests. Voter turnout for the runoffs is expected to be heavy, with more than 2.3 million people having already cast early ballots — 1.5 million in person and 800,000 by mail. Another 500,000 voters have requested mail-in ballots. But the vote count so far is not known since early ballots can only be tallied starting Tuesday. Turnout so far has been highest in some of the heavily populated areas around Atlanta that handed Biden his narrow victory in the state. 
 
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U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is urging his colleagues to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a $740 billion defense spending measure in a vote expected this week.    “President Trump has rightly noted this year’s defense bill doesn’t contain every provision that we Republicans would have wanted. I’m confident our Democratic colleagues feel the same way,” McConnell said Tuesday. “But that is the case every year. And yet, for 59 consecutive years and counting, Washington has put our differences aside, found common ground, and passed the annual defense bill.”    The Senate approved the NDAA in an 84-13 vote earlier this month, far more than the two-thirds vote needed to override a veto.  After Trump’s veto, the House of Representatives responded with an overwhelming vote to override it on Monday.  McConnell was hoping to hold the Senate vote on Wednesday. However liberal senators led by Bernie Sanders are blocking action on the defense bill until the Senate votes on a proposal to increase coronavirus relief payments to Americans.  If the Senate approves the override, it would be the first time Congress has gone against a Trump veto during his four years in office. Trump on Tuesday called the defense legislation a “disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people to Big Tech. Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW! Senate should not approve NDAA until fixed!!!″ The president has criticized the bill on several fronts, including saying it should include the repeal of a provision that protects social media companies from liability over content their users post. Trump has voiced his displeasure that Twitter has frequently labeled his claims that he was defrauded of re-election as “disputed.” He also said the bill restricted his ability to bring U.S. troops home from “foreign lands who do NOTHING for us.”    And Trump has demanded the removal of language that allows the renaming of U.S. military bases that honor leaders of the Confederacy, which seceded from the United States in the early 1860s, before collapsing at the end of the Civil War in 1865.McConnell introduced a measure Tuesday that ties together some of Trump’s complaints about the defense bill and the president’s demand for higher coronavirus pandemic relief payments that were part of a massive funding bill signed Sunday. Trump had harshly criticized that bill as well, before relenting while he demanded the $600 payments be increased. Democrats have long supported the higher payments, and the Democrat-majority House quickly approved them. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer objected to McConnell’s attempt to tie the stimulus money to Trump’s demands on social media companies and allegations of election fraud. “Senator McConnell knows how to make $2,000 survival checks reality and he knows how to kill them,” Schumer said Tuesday.  “If Sen. McConnell tries loading up the bipartisan House-passed CASH Act with unrelated, partisan provisions that will do absolutely nothing to help struggling families across the country, it will not pass the House and cannot become law – any move like this by Sen. McConnell would be a blatant attempt to deprive Americans of a $2,000 survival check.” McConnell blocked Schumer’s attempt Tuesday to force an immediate up-or-down vote on the stand-alone measure authorizing the $2,000 payments. How the Republican-majority Senate will proceed with the two proposals is not clear. Some Republicans have expressed support for the bigger coronavirus payments to those with annual family incomes of up to $150,000, comprising about 81% of all U.S. households. Among the Republican proponents are Georgia’s two embattled senators — David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler — who are facing run-off elections against Democratic challengers next week who also favor the bigger payments.   But some Republicans have voiced opposition, saying the bigger payments would be too costly and would not necessarily boost the U.S. economy, which has been staggered by the coronavirus pandemic. 
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A runoff election in the U.S. state of Georgia has profound implications for Democrat Joe Biden, who will be sworn in as U.S. president January 20th.  At stake: two Senate seats that will decide the balance of power in the U.S. Congress.  Mike O’Sullivan explains.
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Early voting is under way in the U.S. southern state of Georgia for two Senate seats for which none of the candidates received a majority of the vote in the November election. At stake in the January 5 runoff vote — the balance of power in the U.S. Congress. Both U.S. President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden have focused their energies on the races. Trump told a December 5 rally in the state that “the voters of Georgia will determine which party runs every committee, writes every piece of legislation, controls every single taxpayer dollar,” as he urged support for incumbent Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.FILE – Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Republican from Georgia, speaks during a reelection campaign rally in Marietta, Georgia, March 9, 2020.He plans to hold another rally on January 4 in Dalton, Georgia. Biden has campaigned for Democratic candidates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, telling voters on December 15 to “send me these two men, and we will control the Senate and will change the lives of people in Georgia.” FILE – Candidate for U.S. Senate Sen. David Perdue speaks during a campaign rally, in Cumming, Ga., Nov. 13, 2020.Both races are competitive. Warnock is essentially tied with Loeffler. She was appointed to her seat by the state’s governor to replace Senator Johnny Isakson, who retired a year ago for health reasons. The race between Ossoff and Perdue is also tight. Perdue was elected in 2014, and Ossoff has closed the gap to achieve a virtual tie in recent polling. FILE – Democratic U.S. Senate challenger the Rev. Raphael Warnock waves during a rally in Columbus, Ga., Dec. 21, 2020.Power in the U.S. Congress has been divided. Democrats continue to hold a majority in the House of Representatives, and the January 5 Georgia vote will give either party control of the Senate. “If the Democrats can pull off two victories, there will be 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats — a tie,” said political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe.  FILE – Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from Georgia Jon Ossoff speaks after voting early in Atlanta, Dec. 22, 2020.Tie-breaking votes would be cast by Democrat Kamala Harris, the next vice president, who will preside over the Senate. Democrats need to win both seats to gain control, and Republicans need just one. Biden reversed recent voting patterns in November, winning Georgia by a fraction of a percent, while the two Democratic Senate candidates forced runoffs by preventing the incumbents from reaching the threshold of 50% plus one vote.   “That was a gigantic victory for Democrats,” said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles. “Even though it’s a long shot for the Democrats to win both seats, it’s a sign that Georgia is moving the way that other parts of the South may be heading — toward a new coalition.” Atlanta’s Increasingly Diverse Suburbs Could Decide US Senate Control Georgia’s dual runoff Senate contests January 5 follow Democrat Joe Biden’s November victory fueled by minority voters in the Republican-leaning stateHe said Georgia, like the southern states of Virginia and North Carolina, has seen an influx of college-educated voters, who tend to vote Democratic.  “The African American population, Latino population, Asian American population got larger in those states,” said Sonenshein, leading to what he said is a more progressive electorate. Still, Jeffe said, the Senate contest will come down to who gets out the vote. “The Democrats are moving strongly with regard to a shoe leather campaign, knocking on doors, even in a pandemic,” she said, noting that Republicans lead in fundraising.  
 
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Democrats plan to push Tuesday for the U.S. Senate to pass higher pandemic relief payments to Americans, meeting President Donald Trump’s demand for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks that has already been approved by the House of Representatives.With Democrats in the minority in the Senate, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell giving no public indication of bringing the measure for a vote, prominent Democratic figures said they intended to take several possible paths toward forcing action.FILE – Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 1, 2020.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer planned to use a procedural move that can be halted if any senator objects.“There’s strong support for these $2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country,” Schumer said in a statement. “Leader McConnell ought to make sure Senate Republicans do not stand in the way of helping to meet the needs of American workers and families who are crying out for help.”Republicans have largely resisted the additional spending. Congressman Kevin Brady said the bill would not help the nation’s unemployed get back to work.”I worry that as we spend another half a trillion dollars so hastily, that we are not targeting this help to the Americans who are struggling the most and need that help,” Brady said.In this image from video, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 17, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, threatened Monday to block action on another pressing issue, overriding Trump’s veto of key defense legislation, until the Senate votes on the higher relief payments.“Let me be clear: If Senator McConnell doesn’t agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $2,000 direct payment, Congress will not be going home for New Year’s Eve,” Sanders said in a statement.Trump shared a tweet late Monday that cited the Sanders plan, and without commenting on it specifically he reiterated his support for the increased payments.“Give the people $2000, not $600,” Trump wrote. “They have suffered enough!”The Democrat-led House passed the additional pandemic relief payments by a vote of 275-134 on Monday. Congress had previously passed $600 payments for struggling Americans as part of a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package that came after weeks of negotiations between Republican and Democratic leaders.President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Dec. 23, 2020.Trump sharply criticized the legislation, threatening to block its passage if Congress did not increase the stimulus payments to $2,000 and cut other spending. But on Sunday, as a government shutdown loomed, he signed the bill.The House also passed a measure Monday that would override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion bill funding the country’s defense programs, securing the two-thirds vote necessary to override a presidential veto. The defense spending bill also gives raises to members of the military and sets Pentagon policy on issues such as troop levels, weapons systems and personnel matters.   The Senate could vote on the measure as early as Tuesday and is also expected to override Trump’s veto.  Trump has criticized the defense bill on several fronts, arguing without explanation that the bill benefits China. He has demanded the removal of language that allows the renaming of military bases that honor leaders of the Confederacy, which seceded from the United States in the 1860s, before collapsing at the end of the U.S. Civil War a few years later.He has also demanded the repeal of a provision that protects social media companies from liability over content their users post.
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Gwinnett County is located just 16 kilometers northeast of Atlanta and is one of the most populous suburbs of Georgia’s largest city. In November, Democrat Joe Biden won 58% of the presidential vote in the county, helping propel his razor-thin margin of victory in Georgia overall.
Thirty years ago, however, Gwinnett county was mostly rural and a Republican stronghold in a state where Republicans have long dominated.
“Atlanta was mostly African American and voted Democrat, but, back then, the suburbs around Atlanta were like the rest of Georgia — a lot of white people nearly exclusively voting Republican,” Nick Masino, President and CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, told VOA. “But it’s nothing like that anymore.”FILE – In this Nov. 13, 2020 file photo, candidate for U.S. Senate Sen. David Perdue speaks during a campaign rally, in Cumming, Ga.Barely two months after Biden became just the second Democrat since 1980 to carry Georgia, the state remains in the political limelight as voters return to the polls on January 5 to decide two run-off races that will determine which political party controls the U.S. Senate. Biden’s ability to advance his legislative agenda could hang in the balance.The state’s two Republican senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, are trying to fend off tough, well financed Democratic challenges from Jon Ossoff, and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, respectively, in an election that has already seen more than $500 million spent. If Democrats capture both seats, the Senate will be divided 50-50 between the Democrats and Republicans, but Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will break the tie in favor of the Democrats. If either Perdue or Loeffler or both wins, Republicans will retain control of the Senate.FILE – In this Nov. 13, 2020, file photo Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Sen. Kelly Loeffler speaks at a campaign rally in Cumming, Ga.But while there is an unusual amount of attention on the state — including competing campaign events featuring President Donald Trump, President-elect Biden as well as a host of celebrities — there is a lot about Georgia and its electorate that outsiders may not realize.
“We know there are people from all over the world watching us right now,” Masino said, “but I don’t think people understand what’s been going on here. We’ve grown so fast over the last few decades, this isn’t the Georgia people think they know. We’ve become so diverse — there aren’t many places in the world like it, and that could have a big impact on this election.”A political shiftJust kilometers to the west of Gwinnett is Cobb County, another of Atlanta’s suburbs. It’s population was reported at more than 760,000 in 2019 — more than doubling since 1990 — and like the rest of Atlanta’s outskirts, it has undergone a transformation that would have been unimaginable even 15 years ago.
“When I first moved to Cobb County in 2007, it was considered a bastion of conservative Republicanism,” Dr. Andrew Pieper, an associate professor of political science at Kennesaw State University told VOA. “It was the heart of the state GOP.”Democratic U.S. Senate challenger the Rev. Raphael Warnock during a rally Dec. 21, 2020 in Columbus, Ga.
The political shift can be seen by looking at how Atlanta’s suburbs voted in presidential elections over the last two decades. In 2004, Republican incumbent President George Bush walloped Democratic challenger John Kerry by more than 32 percentage points in Gwinnett County. Eight years later, Democratic President Barack Obama limited his Republican opponent’s advantage in the county to just over 9%.
In 2016, Democrat Hilary Clinton actually beat Trump by nearly six percentage points in Gwinnett — even though Trump won Georgia as a whole by five percentage points. This past November, Biden beat Trump by a whopping 18 percentage points in the county, and carried Georgia by just under 12,000 votes . Before then, Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win a statewide presidential race in Georgia, in 1992.
It’s a similar story in Cobb County and throughout Atlanta’s sprawling suburbs. But what caused the shift?
The answer can be found by examining the area’s changing demographics.Demographic revolutionGeorgia today bears little resemblance to the state that maintained a web of racially discriminatory laws for a century after the U.S. Civil War. But residents know that reputations die hard.Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from Georgia Jon Ossoff speaks after voting early in Atlanta on Dec. 22, 2020.
“People think of us as a bunch of racists, but that’s just not true,” said Masino. “Those of us in metro Atlanta live among people of color every day. We go to church together, go to school together and go to work together. Things are different than they used to be, and I think the large majority of us really value that diversity.”
According to Masino and others, change accelerated as Atlanta prepared to host the 1996 Olympics. Georgia worked hard to attract international companies, and that effort paid off as there are more than 3,000 global-based companies in the state today.
“Immigrant families started to notice that people from their home countries were moving to the Atlanta suburbs,” Masino explained, “and that they were welcomed here, that there were jobs available, and that the school systems were good. So more and more people started to come.”
Atlanta’s metro area today boasts 51,000 Korean immigrants as well as 44,000 people from Vietnam. Immigrants from India and Pakistan number 31,000, while 13,500 Atlanta area residents came to the United States from China.
“The Atlanta area’s thought of us as just being black and white, and that might have been true 30 years ago, but it’s not anymore,” Masino said. “We have the fourth largest population of residents of Korean descent in North America.”
Gwinnett County, which was 90% white in 1990, is just 30% white today, according to the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, with the majority of the county made up of minorities: 32% Black, 26% Hispanic and 12% Asian. One in four residents of the county were born outside of the United States.
And diversity is growing across the metro area. Even in places like Paulding County, which as of 2018 was still 75% white, that number has dropped significantly since the turn of the century when the county’s white residents made up 91% of the population.
For many newcomers to the area, that diversity is one of the most appealing parts of the region. This is true for Liz Mace Neider, who moved to Atlanta four years ago. Her husband works for a French company headquartered in Germany. When they decided to move to the U.S., they came to Alpharetta — roughly a half hour drive from Atlanta — because his company had opened an office in the growing city.
“When we first moved here, I was immediately struck by how diverse it was,” said Liz, who is part-Korean but was born in the United States. “We had a neighbor who had been there for 20 years and he was Caucasian. Another neighbor was from Honduras, another was from Columbia and our landlord was from Hong Kong. It’s actually sometimes hard to find people who were born in Atlanta!”An electionWith just a week to go before the election, people across the country and the world are waiting to see how Georgia’s newfound diversity will translate to votes in an election that will help determine America’s political trajectory.
“Not all ethnicities vote as a single bloc, but in general, diversity tends to favor the Democrats,” Masino said. “These multicultural suburbs helped Biden win, but it’s unclear if they’ll turn out in large numbers for a pair of run-off Senate races.
Without President Trump on the ballot or a presidency hanging in the balance, Pieper agreed that November’s election results might not mirror vote totals from next week’s Senate contests.
“I’d be hard pressed to bet against the GOP [Republicans] until the Democrats show they can actually turn out their base to vote in run-offs,” he said. “The idiom about ‘close doesn’t count’ has never been truer than when applied to a winner-take-all election.”
With polls so close, most experts agree that the race will likely be determined by whichever party can motivate enough of their base to go to the ballot box.
Dontaye Carter is the Communications Chair for the Fulton County Democrats —based just outside of Atlanta. Last week he was talking to voters at a toy and food drive, trying to get Democrats excited about the run-offs. Carter is Black and moved to the area from Orlando just eight years ago. He said he’s hopeful residents will turn out in the same numbers that helped deliver the state’s votes to Biden weeks ago.
“Voters here just helped remove a President and several district attorneys, and they influenced a bunch of other races,” Carter said. “I think people in these neighborhoods are starting to realize how much they matter and — when they use it — how much their voice matters, too.” 
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Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are planning to vote Monday on higher pandemic relief payments to Americans, after President Donald Trump backed down from his fight with lawmakers over the payments and signed a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package.On Sunday Trump signed the spending package, which includes $600 in stimulus payments for struggling Americans, after previously calling the bill “a disgrace.”Trump called for the stimulus payments to be boosted to $2,000 while also criticizing funding for multiple government programs in the spending bill such as foreign aid and scientific research.Trump Signs Spending Bill, Pandemic Aid PackageThe president had refused to sign a pandemic aid bill; he tweeted Saturday that he wants $2,000 checks for Americans instead of the $600 aid negotiated by lawmakersDemocrats in the House agree that the payments should be higher and will vote Monday on issuing $2,000 relief checks for Americans. However, the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to oppose the measure.Trump’s support for the larger checks had been seen as a rebuke to members of his Republican party, who resisted Democratic efforts to negotiate larger payments.“As President, I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child,” Trump said in a statement announcing his signature for the spending bill.Without Trump’s signature or passage of a stopgap measure to fund operations, a partial government shutdown would have begun Tuesday. Increased unemployment benefits and eviction protections expired early Sunday.The spending bill Trump signed includes $900 billion for coronavirus relief and $1.4 trillion for government funding through next September.Will Congress override Trump veto?The House is also expected vote Monday on a measure that would override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion bill funding the country’s defense programs. The measure would also give raises to members of the military and set Pentagon policy on issues such as troop levels, weapons systems and personnel matters.If the House approves the veto override Monday, the Senate could vote on the measure as early as Tuesday. A two-thirds vote in both chambers is required to override a presidential veto.Senate Sends Trump Defense Bill He Has Vowed to VetoVote is 84-13, mirroring a similarly overwhelming margin in the House that, if maintained in both chambers, would be enough to override a potential vetoTrump has criticized the defense bill on several fronts, arguing without explanation that the bill benefits China. He has demanded the removal of language that allows the renaming of military bases that honor leaders of the Confederacy, which attempted to secede from the United States in the 1860s.He has also demanded the addition of a provision making it easier to sue social media companies over content posted by their users.Pelosi called Trump’s veto “an act of staggering recklessness that harms our troops.”Congress is interrupting its usual Christmas recess to return to work on Monday.Democrats have characterized the coronavirus relief bill as just a first step in their push for a more expansive aid package.“We need to ensure robust support for state and local government to distribute and administer a vaccine, keep workers employed and prevent devastating service cuts – and we must do so as soon as possible,” Pelosi said.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Trump for preventing “a government shutdown at a time when our nation could not have afforded one.”“The bipartisan rescue package that Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration negotiated with the Democrats will extend another major lifeline to workers at struggling small businesses, renew major relief for laid-off Americans, invest billions more in vaccine distribution, send cash directly to households, and more. The compromise bill is not perfect, but it will do an enormous amount of good for struggling Kentuckians and Americans across the country who need help now,” McConnell said in a statement.Trump said in announcing his signature for the spending package that he was also insisting on changes to the funding legislation to remove what he called “wasteful items.” Those demands amount to suggestions to Congress and will not necessarily result in any changes to the bill.“I am signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for PPP, return our airline workers back to work, add substantially more money for vaccine distribution, and much more,” Trump added.
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With the clock ticking toward a potential U.S. government shutdown, President Donald Trump on Sunday signed a $2.3 trillion spending legislation, which includes $900 billion for coronavirus relief and the remainder for government spending through next September.  
 
The president had called the bill “a disgrace” after it had been passed in the House and Senate, capping months of negotiations in which Trump was little involved.The bill was flown from Washington to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida to be available if Trump decided to sign it into law.   
 
The stand-off appeared to break when Trump hinted in a tweet late Sunday, “Good news on Covid Relief Bill. Information to follow!”  Without Trump’s signature or passage of a stopgap measure to fund operations, a partial government shutdown would have begun shortly after midnight Monday. Increased unemployment benefits and eviction protections expired early Sunday.  
 
Trump had sharply criticized the legislation earlier this week and on Saturday indicated his continued objections to it.     “I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill. Also, stop the billions of dollars in ‘pork’” he tweeted Saturday.I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill. Also, stop the billions of dollars in “pork”.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2020Trump’s support for the larger checks had been seen as a rebuke to members of his Republican party, which had resisted Democratic efforts to negotiate larger payments.    Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle called on the President to sign the bill. Over the weekend, a group of bipartisan lawmakers said Trump should choose – either sign the emergency relief bill or veto it outright, which would allow Congress to attempt to override the veto.  
 
“If your objection to the Covid-19 relief bill will prevent you from signing, please veto it immediately. You’ve made your position clear and rejecting it quickly will allow those in favor to act before it is too late,” the lawmakers said. Even with the bill signed, Congress is planning to return to work Monday, interrupting its usual Christmas recess.    House members are scheduled to vote Monday to override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion bill authorizing the country’s defense programs. If the House vote passes, the Senate could vote on the measure as early as Tuesday. It requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override a presidential veto.   Trump has criticized the defense bill on several fronts, arguing without explanation that the bill benefits China. He has demanded the removal of language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders who seceded from the United States in the 1860s. He has also demanded the addition of a provision making it easier to sue social media companies over content posted by their users.     House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump’s veto “an act of staggering recklessness that harms our troops.”        
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U.S. President Donald Trump did not sign a critical pandemic relief and government funding package before midnight, allowing increased unemployment benefits and eviction protections to expire at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.Trump had sharply criticized the legislation earlier this week and indicated Saturday his continued objections to it.Trump tweeted early Saturday, “I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill. Also, stop the billions of dollars in ‘pork’.”I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill. Also, stop the billions of dollars in “pork”.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2020The larger checks have been seen as a rebuke to members of his own Republican party, which had resisted Democratic efforts to negotiate larger payments.Fourteen million Americans will lose unemployment benefits, according to Labor Department data.President-elect Joe Biden called on Trump to sign the bill.”This abdication of responsibility has devastating consequences. … This bill is critical. It needs to be signed into law now,” Biden, who is spending the holiday in his home state of Delaware, said in a statement.The president is spending the holiday at his Florida resort as Democrats and Republicans wait to see whether he will sign the $2.3 trillion spending legislation, which includes $892 billion for coronavirus relief. The bill has been flown from Washington to his Mar-a-Lago club to be available if he decides to sign it into law.Trump has not specifically threatened to veto the bill, but he surprised lawmakers in both parties by calling it a “disgrace” after it had been passed in the House and Senate, capping months of negotiations.A partial federal government shutdown also would begin early Tuesday if Trump does not sign the bill. Congress is planning to return to work Monday, interrupting its usual Christmas recess, and could take up a stopgap measure to extend government funding for a few days or weeks while the impasse is resolved.House members are also scheduled to vote Monday to override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion bill authorizing the country’s defense programs. If the House vote passes, the Senate could vote on the measure as early as Tuesday. It requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override a presidential veto.Trump has criticized the defense bill on several fronts, arguing without explanation that the bill benefits China, and has demanded the removal of language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders. He has also demanded the addition of a provision making it easier to sue social media companies over content posted by their users.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump’s veto “an act of staggering recklessness that harms our troops.”However, Pelosi has embraced Trump’s call for $2,000 direct payments to all Americans below a specified income level, and on Thursday used a maneuver to force Republicans to defy Trump by blocking the increase.Pelosi has announced plans to force another vote on the issue Monday. It is liable to be passed in the House, where Democrats have a majority, but unlikely to progress in the Republican-controlled Senate.The White House declined to share details of the president’s schedule during his Christmas holiday. It said only: “During the holiday season, President Trump will continue to work tirelessly for the American people. His schedule includes many meetings and calls.”Nevertheless, Trump was photographed playing golf at his Florida course near Mar-a-Lago both Thursday and Friday. Reports say he was joined on the course Christmas Day by his close ally, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.
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U.S. President Donald Trump indicated Saturday his continued objections to a pandemic relief and government funding package that he sharply criticized earlier this week.Trump tweeted early Saturday:I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill. Also, stop the billions of dollars in “pork”.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) President-elect Joe Biden leaves St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church, Dec. 26, 2020, in Greenville, Del.President-elect Joe Biden called on Trump to sign the bill.”This abdication of responsibility has devastating consequences. … This bill is critical. It needs to be signed into law now,” Biden, who is spending the holiday in his home state of Delaware, said in a statement.A partial federal government shutdown also would begin early Tuesday if Trump does not sign the bill. Congress is planning to return to work Monday, interrupting its usual Christmas recess, and could take up a stopgap measure to extend government funding for a few days or weeks while the impasse is resolved.Defense bill voteHouse members are also scheduled to vote Monday to override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion bill authorizing the country’s defense programs. If the House vote passes, the Senate could vote on the measure as early as Tuesday. It requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override a presidential veto.Trump has criticized the defense bill on several fronts, arguing without explanation that the bill benefits China, and has demanded the removal of language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders. He has also demanded the addition of a provision making it easier to sue social media companies over content posted by their users.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump’s veto “an act of staggering recklessness that harms our troops.”FILE – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during her weekly briefing, Dec. 4, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington.However, Pelosi has embraced Trump’s call for $2,000 direct payments to all Americans below a specified income level, and on Thursday used a maneuver to force Republicans to defy Trump by blocking the increase.Pelosi has announced plans to force another vote on the issue Monday. It is likely to be passed in the House, where Democrats have a majority, but unlikely to progress in the Republican-controlled Senate.The White House declined to share details of the president’s schedule during his Christmas holiday. It said only: “During the holiday season, President Trump will continue to work tirelessly for the American people. His schedule includes many meetings and calls.”Trump was photographed playing golf at his Florida course near Mar-a-Lago both Thursday and Friday. Reports said he was joined on the course Christmas Day by his close ally, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
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U.S. President Donald Trump is spending the holiday weekend at his Florida resort as both Democrats and Republicans wait to see whether he will sign a critical pandemic relief and government funding package that he sharply criticized earlier this week.The $2.3 trillion spending legislation, which includes $892 billion for coronavirus relief, has been flown from Washington to his Mar-a-Lago club to be available for him to sign into law. Trump has not specifically threatened to veto the bill, but he surprised lawmakers in both parties by labeling the legislation as a “disgrace” after it had been passed in the House and Senate, capping months of negotiations.President Donald Trump’s motorcade drives to Trump International Golf Club, Dec. 25, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla.Trump said the package gave too much money to special interests and foreign aid, and said direct payments of $600 for most Americans should be increased to $2,000. That was seen as a rebuke to members of his own Republican party, which had resisted Democratic efforts to negotiate larger payments.A partial federal government shutdown looms early Tuesday if Trump does not sign the bill. Congress is planning to return to work Monday, interrupting its usual Christmas recess, and could take up a stopgap measure to extend government funding for a few days or weeks while the impasse is resolved.House members are also scheduled to vote Monday to override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion bill authorizing the country’s defense programs. If the House vote passes, the Senate could vote on the measure as early as Tuesday. It requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override a presidential veto.Trump has criticized the defense bill on several fronts, arguing without explanation that the bill benefits China, and has demanded the removal of language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders. He has also demanded the addition of a provision making it easier to sue social media companies over content posted by their users.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of Calif., speaks during her weekly briefing, Dec. 4, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump’s veto “an act of staggering recklessness that harms our troops.”However, Pelosi has embraced Trump’s call for $2,000 direct payments to all Americans below a specified income level, and on Thursday used a maneuver to force Republicans to defy Trump by blocking the increase.Pelosi has announced plans to force another vote on the issue Monday. It is liable to be passed in the House, where Democrats have a majority, but unlikely to progress in the Republican-controlled Senate.The White House declined to share details of the president’s schedule during his Christmas holiday. It said only: “During the holiday season, President Trump will continue to work tirelessly for the American people. His schedule includes many meetings and calls.”Nevertheless, Trump was photographed playing golf at his Florida course near Mar-a-Lago both Thursday and Friday. Reports say he was joined on the course Christmas Day by his close ally, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
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Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives blocked a Democratic attempt Thursday to pass President Donald Trump’s demand for $2,000 stimulus payments to millions of Americans who have been hard hit by the U.S. coronavirus pandemic.Late Tuesday, the outgoing president demanded an increase in direct payments from $600 to $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for couples, despite broad opposition within the Republican Party.Thursday House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer sought the unanimous approval of Trump’s proposal from House members but House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy denied the approval, ending an unusual 12-minute pro forma session.Trump Vetoes Defense Spending BillBoth the House and Senate passed the bill with veto-proof majorities, meaning they could override the president’s vetoTrump had suggested Tuesday he will not sign into law a $900 billion emergency COVID-19 aid bill unless lawmakers approve larger stimulus payments. A Trump veto would likely trigger a brief, partial federal government shutdown beginning Dec. 29 and delay delivery of the $600 stimulus payments in the bill when millions desperately need assistance.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans are opposed the larger $2,000 checks, saying they are too costly and poorly targeted.Trump’s efforts to change the relief package come as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on Jan. 20. The bill had been approved by the House and Senate by wide, bipartisan margins.Biden Addresses COVID-19 Bill, Holiday Pandemic Precautions President-elect Joe Biden called the $900 billion coronavirus aid bill a ‘down payment’ on a broader relief bill he plans to introduce when he takes office in JanuaryWithout Trump’s signature, unemployment benefits for those who lost jobs due to the pandemic would expire as soon as Saturday, followed by a partial government shutdown beginning Tuesday.Earlier this month, Congress approved a $2.3 trillion catchall spending bill that includes the $900 billion in COVID-19 aid and $1.4 trillion to fund the government through the next fiscal year.The House is scheduled to return to Capitol Hill on Monday, and the Senate Tuesday, for a vote to override Trump’s veto of the measure. Democrats are contemplating a second stopgap bill to at least keep the government operating until Biden is sworn into office Jan. 20, according to two aides, who spoke anonymously to address the private talks. 
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday granted full pardons to former campaign manager Paul Manafort and former adviser Roger Stone, sweeping away the most important convictions made under the long-running Russia election probe.Trump also issued a full pardon for Charles Kushner, a real estate developer and the father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.It was the second wave of pardons Trump has issued in two days. The announcement came just after Trump arrived in Palm Beach, Florida, for the holiday season, with Jared Kushner on the Air Force One flight with him.In total, Trump issued on Wednesday full pardons to 26 individuals and commuted part or all of the sentences of an additional three people.Facing the end of his term on Jan. 20, Trump has now granted full pardons to four major figures from U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign.Besides Manafort and Stone, Trump has pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former adviser George Papadopoulos.The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has been trying to prosecute Manafort in New York for mortgage fraud and other alleged crimes, said it would continue to pursue an appeal for its case, which was dismissed on double jeopardy grounds.”This action underscores the urgent need to hold Mr. Manafort accountable for his crimes against the People of New York as alleged in our indictment, and we will continue to pursue our appellate remedies,” said Danny Frost, spokesperson for the office.The Manafort pardon spared the long-time Republican operative from serving the bulk of his 7 1/2-year prison term.Manafort, 70, was among the first in Trump’s inner circle to face charges brought by Mueller as part of his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.In a statement relayed by his lawyer, Manafort expressed his appreciation to Trump.”Mr. President, my family & I humbly thank you for the Presidential Pardon you bestowed on me. Words cannot fully convey how grateful we are,” he said.Stone was convicted in November 2019 by a Washington jury of lying under oath to lawmakers also investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.Trump commuted his sentence in July, a day before Stone was due to begin serving a term of three years and four months. Stone, in a statement, thanked Trump for “completely erasing the criminal conviction to which I was subjected in a Soviet-style show trial on politically-motivated charges.”Charles Kushner was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty in 2004 to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering and making unlawful campaign donations.In an unusual twist, the man who prosecuted Charles Kushner was Chris Christie, now the former governor of New Jersey, who also has served as an adviser to Trump.Christie was quoted by CNN as saying Charles Kushner’s case was “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes” he prosecuted. During the case, Charles Kushner admitted to smearing his brother-in-law, who had cooperated with prosecutors, by hiring a prostitute to have sex with him in a motel room, then sending a secretly recorded video of the encounter to the man’s wife, Charles Kushner’s own sister.
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President-elect Joe Biden’s top advisers say the incoming administration will “need time” to undo what they regard as damaging U.S. immigration and border enforcement policies implemented under President Donald Trump.In an interview with Spanish wire service EFE this week, Susan Rice, Biden’s incoming domestic policy adviser, and Jake Sullivan, his pick for national security adviser, said U.S. border policies the Trump administration put in place to deter mass migration will not disappear overnight. “We will be able to take some steps to change policies right away. Others will take time to put in place, and the situation at the border will not transform overnight, due in large part to the damage done over the last four years. But we are committed to addressing it in full,” Rice said.Speaking with reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday, Biden said he had already discussed immigration issues with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and other Latin American leaders. He promised “a much more humane policy” but said “it’s probably going to take the next six months to put that in place.”Have already started #immigration issues with #Mexico president and other Latin American leaders, says @JoeBiden, promising “a much more humane policy.”
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) December 22, 2020Biden added, “The last thing we need is to say we’re going to stop immediately the access to asylum the way it’s being run now, and then end up with 2 million people on our border.”Trump’s border policies include the Remain in Mexico program that has forced tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to await U.S. immigration court dates on the Mexican side of the southern U.S. border. Strongly criticized by immigrant rights advocates as causing misery and putting migrants’ lives at risk, the program has been defended by the Trump administration, which argues it prevents overcrowding in U.S. detention facilities and reduces the impetus for migrants to take a perilous journey northward.Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP, to remain in place pending the outcome of legal challenges that would be moot if the incoming Biden administration terminates the program.In a recent call to reporters, Biden’s transition team said U.S. immigration officials would start processing asylum claims at ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border and work toward an “efficient” and “humane” asylum system.Slower paceOverall, the Biden team’s postelection comments suggest an effort to tamp down expectations for immediate immigration policy changes after Biden is inaugurated on January 20.US Immigration Policy Changes Expected Under BidenHe could overturn many guidelines using executive orders, but others will require more than a policy declaration, experts sayAfter Rice and Sullivan’s EFE interview, Kids in Need of Defense President Wendy Young said “work should start on day one” and urged the new administration to elevate protections for unaccompanied children and families that exist in U.S. law.“The incoming Biden administration is right to focus on procedures and policies that will restore vital asylum screening procedures at the U.S.-Mexico border and reflect our nation’s long-held humanitarian approach to protecting the most vulnerable among us,” Young said in a statement.Elusive legislative solutionsDespite the urgings of both the former George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, Congress has repeatedly been deadlocked on comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The inaction has prompted successive White House occupants to adjust U.S. policy on a piecemeal basis through directives and executive orders, from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, to MPP. Federal Judge: Wolf’s DACA Rules InvalidActing DHS secretary was not lawfully serving when he suspended applications, judge rulesSullivan and Rice told EFE that Biden would use executive action when feasible.“There are areas that can be addressed administratively, and the president-elect has plans to begin tackling those areas right away,” Rice said. “But the Biden administration will not be able to fix everything on our own. We need legislative changes to make enduring repairs to our immigration system.”Analysts remain pessimistic about the chances for enacting sweeping legislation if Biden presides over a politically divided government. Dany Bahar, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote that it would be nearly impossible to pass immigration reform if the Senate remains in control of Republicans.
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